Emeritus Professor Paul Yock, MD, formerly the Martha Meier Weiland Professor in the School of Medicine, a professor of bioengineering and of cardiology, and founding director of Stanford Biodesign (now the Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign), traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier this month to receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in a ceremony at the White House.
The medal was awarded to Yock in recognition of his work in understanding the human heart, knowledge that is used around the world today to improve patient care and save lives. The award also honors his novel approach to training future leaders in biotechnology through his founding of Stanford Biodesign.
“Paul Yock richly deserves this honor as a co-founder and former director of Stanford Biodesign, which has significantly advanced health technology innovation,” said Lloyd Minor, MD, the dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs at Stanford University. “His interventional cardiology inventions have also saved countless lives around the world.”
The ceremony was led by Arati Prabhakar, PhD, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “Today, as we celebrate these individual accomplishments, we also recognize that they took place within the institutions of our democracy, including in so many cases the support of the government, which is, in the most literal way, ‘We The People’ coming together to make progress possible,” Prabhakar said.
Since it was first awarded in 1985, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation has been given to American innovators whose vision, intellect, creativity, and determination have strengthened America’s economy and improved quality of life. Yock is one of nine recipients of 2025 medals.
“Attending the ceremony at the White House was a meaningful experience, reflecting the government’s commitment to innovation through organizations like the National Institutes of Health,” Yock said. “The U.S. has a strong infrastructure and vibrant culture of entrepreneurship and innovation that has come full circle for me – it has played a pivotal role in my own career and the success of our programs.”
An early innovator
Yock started his career in the early 1980s, when innovations in noninvasive medical procedures were rapidly evolving. He invented several medical devices and systems; today, he holds 55 issued U.S. patents. An angioplasty and stenting system and an intravascular ultrasound catheter are two of his most notable: They are in routine use worldwide for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease.
Stanford Biodesign, founded in 2001, was born out of Yock’s belief that health technology innovation can be approached as a discipline in the university setting. Stanford Biodesign was a pioneering proof of concept of this approach. The goal is to improve health outcomes and equity through innovation education, translation, and policy.
“The success we’ve seen with Stanford Biodesign proves that technology innovation is something that can be taught, learned, practiced, and perfected, and I’m extremely proud that many institutions have modeled their programs after Stanford Biodesign,” Yock said.
He and his co-founder, Josh Makower, MD, set out to develop an educational model underpinned by interdisciplinary collaboration; immersive, hands-on mentoring from industry professionals; and a focus on translation. Stanford Biodesign has helped educate and empower 219 innovation fellows, over 3,000 Stanford students, and 109 Stanford faculty members. Fifty-seven health technology companies have been founded based on technologies invented by the trainees at Stanford Biodesign.
“Paul is one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I have ever worked with; it’s so nice to see such an honor go to one of the truly good guys,” said Makower, the Yock Family Professor, the Byers Family Director of Stanford Biodesign, and a professor of bioengineering and of cardiovascular medicine. “Under his leadership of Stanford Biodesign, innovation thrived, and our trainees produced technologies that touched the lives of millions. This is truly an accomplishment worthy of substantial acknowledgment. We’re all so proud of him.”
Yock added that his colleagues share in the achievement.
“Receiving the National Medal of Technology and Innovation is really a team honor,” Yock said. “Especially for the part of the award based on Biodesign – it’s a reflection of the tremendous contributions of dozens of our Biodesign staff and faculty who built such a world-class program over the years.”
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